London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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26
Following these circulars, each health visitor was
instructed to keep a record book showing every notified birth in
her district, and a day by day record as to whether such children
had been immunised or not. This book is examined periodically
(not less frequently than once a quarter) when every child who has
attained the age of 1 year is checked to see whether it has been
immunised and, if not, the reason for the failure.
The record card recommended by the Minister was practically
the same as that which had been used in Kensington for a long time
previously, and it was decided that no change was necessary.
The figures for 1946 in regard to immunisation of the child population already supplied to the Minister are as follows:-
| Age of children at 31st Dec., 1946. | Total number immunised. |
|---|---|
| Under 1 year. | 273 |
| Between 1 and 2 years. | 892 |
| ,, 2 and 3 ,, | 831 |
| ,, 3 and 4 ,, | 817 |
| ,, 4 and 5 ,, | 859 |
| ,, 5 and 9 ,, | 5,354 |
| ,, 9 and 15 ,, | 5,652 |
| Total. | 14,678 |
Estimated child population for the
borough in mid-1946-
Up to 5 years 8,810
Between 5 and 15 12,740
Acute Rheumatism in Children.
In 1927 , the Council resolved to ask the Minister of Health
to make acute rheumatism in children a notifiable disease, and this
request was granted. The Council established a rheumatism supervisory
centre at the Princess Louise Hospital and this continued
to operate up to the outbreak of war in 1939, when the hospital
closed.
In June, 1944, the centre was re-established and Dr. Janet
Aitken was re-appointed physician-in-charge. The hospital
provides nursing assistance and other facilities including the
allocation of two beds for acute -rheumatism patients recommended
by the centre.
Sessions were held on each Friday during the year, and
one hundred and eighty Kensington children attended making a total
of four hundred and twelve attendances. Of these, eleven were
referred to the Princess Louise Hospital for in-patient treatment.
These children were in-patients for periods varying from six days
to one hundred and sixty-seven days. The average stay in
hospital was forty-one days.
One of the Council's health visitors attends each session
to act as liaison officer, and she made ninety-eight visits to the
homes of the patients.